UnitedCloud Partners Can Now Integrate Phone Services With Microsoft Teams

• October 7, 2019
• Author: Keith Young

UnitedCloud is now a Microsoft Partner. We are launching a new integration extension of the UnitedCloud Cloud PBX already enjoyed by 1,000’s of businesses through a 100% channel-network of great Canadian partners.  UnitedCloud’s generically branded application called iplogin4teams integrates with Microsoft Teams using Microsoft’s Direct Routing functionality, paired with UnitedCloud’s multi-tenant Session Border Controllers (SBCs).

Our partner’s clients are able to use Canada’s leading PBX and PSTN connectivity with Microsoft’s leading Teams application – creating a single-pane total collaboration solution. Teams is Microsoft’s fastest-growing application and used by more than 500,000 businesses.

With the announced retirement of Skype-for-Business next year, a huge opportunity exists for UnitedCloud partners looking to assist clients with migration to Microsoft Teams and enhanced calling features provided with the UnitedCloud hosted communication applications.

UnitedCloud’s integration allows the extension of features to Teams users that may not currently exist in Teams alone.

Users are able to use their existing UnitedCloud VoIP desk phones, new Teams desktop phones or any of the Teams soft clients. Businesses can enjoy a mix of user devices and types depending on job function and mobility of their workforce.  Leading new handsets from Poly and Yealink are already tested and available for immediate deployment with many new models coming soon.

What is Microsoft Teams?

Teams is Microsoft’s latest team-working solution built for today’s workforce. It provides chat and online meeting services integrated with Office 365 business applications and advanced AI capabilities, giving global, remote and dispersed teams the ability to collaborate and share information in a secure central hub.

What is Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams?

The Microsoft Teams Phone System is now supercharged by UnitedCloud’s geographically redundant platforms in Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa and Montreal. Powered by an exceptional coast-to-coast partner network enabling clients to bring increased connectivity and collaboration, app integration and preferably priced hosted voice services into the Microsoft Cloud through Direct Routing and UnitedCloud’s iplogin4teams integration application. No premise-based hardware or software is required.

By delivering a smooth transition to Teams a customer can make the move without impacting users and operations. When clients migrate to Teams with UnitedCloud’s iplogin4teams Direct Routing integration, they take advantage of Teams’ powerful collaboration technology, plus the feature-rich solutions UC adds to Teams. Essential tools like the following are unlocked for UnitedCloud partners and their customers:

• contact center
• CRM integration
• device management
• call recording
• newly released artificial intelligence voice applications
• faxing
• paging
• door intercom buzzers
• failover to other devices in the case of a Microsoft interruption

What is iplogin4teams?

iplogin4teams is a cloud-based integration and multi-tenant SBC deployment, offering the following set of features:

• Enable calling in and out of Microsoft Teams for external participants
• Customers can use Microsoft Teams as their endpoint (and\or a desk phone)
• Use UnitedCloud’s Cloud PBX platform with existing call-management, control, advanced features, minutes and telephone numbers
• Call Reporting and Recordings are maintained
• Setup in minutes
• Operates as a pure multi-tenant Cloud Service, meaning no hardware or software overhead for the customer. No on-premise SBC or complex server architecture is required.
• Prerequisites: Microsoft Phone System Add-on Licenses and Office 365 Subscription with Microsoft Teams. Calling Plans from Microsoft are not required as the UnitedCloud solution performs this functionality.
• Low cost to entry of MSRP of $5.75 per user per month for iplogin4teams connectivity. Not all users need to pay for the integration, by selectively only subscribing those users desiring the Teams integration add-on.

UnitedCloud delivers an integrated Office 365 Microsoft Teams experience with global calling plans empowered by a Canadian-based network and partner support team. This solution ensures a personalized implementation, adoption, training and support strategy. UnitedCloud’s monitoring and management services deliver the highest quality user experience.

What are the opportunities for UnitedCloud Partners?

1. Microsoft Teams is growing exponentially and is included with every Office 365.
2. Teams lacks common PBX features.
3. Microsoft has issued 12-month end-of-life notices forcing Skype for Business users to upgrade to Microsoft Teams.
4. Mid-market & Enterprise UC RFPs call for Teams integration.
5. Increasing UC\Voice decisions are made by the IT departments
6. Teams is the widespread killer app for workforce mobility and bring-your-own-device deployments.
7. Microsoft’s core Voice offering involves replacing the client PBX, which is prohibitively disruptive. Traditional business types and users are not always Teams oriented. The integration allows for both user types.
8. Cost. The combined cost of iplogin4teams with Microsoft Office 365 licenses can be significantly cheaper than using Microsoft Calling Plans with Teams as a bundle.

UnitedCloud Certified Team Desk Phones Are Available Now

Poly and Yealink have a full range of Teams desk phones available and new models coming very soon.   UnitedCloud has certified the Poly Elara 60 with great features like mobile phone wireless charging, speakerphone, high-end headset and the Yealink T55A in our offices with an affordable Teams featured desk phone.

AVAILABLE: POLY ELARA 60 MICROSOFT TEAMS PHONE

AVAILABLE: POLY CCX TEAMS SERIES DESK PHONES

AVAILABLE: YEALINK MICROSOFT TEAM DESK PHONES

AVAILABLE: YEALINK MICROSOFT TEAM DESK PHONES